IN ACTION ROUND THE WORLD Herrenknecht Gripper technology

can be found in action in projects all around the world for all types of

tunnel use and all diameters.

RING ERECTOR installs steel arches to

stabilize the excavated tunnel.

BUCKETS transport the excavated

rock behind the cutterhead onto a belt

conveyor system.

CUTTERHEAD The excavation tools are mounted in

the cutterhead, which also supports the tunnel face.

GOTTHARD BASE TUNNEL

Installed power: 3,500 kW

Weight: around 220 t

SHIELD (partial shield) supports the rock

behind the cutterhead.

MESH INSTALLER places steel mats in the

inserted bolts.

DISC CUTTERS are mounted in the cutterhead

and roll in concentric circles over the tunnel face.

The rock is crushed by the contact pressure.

GOTTHARD BASE TUNNEL

Weight per disc cutter: around 125 kg

Contact pressure per disc cutter: up to 26 t

ROOF BOLTING UNIT can be moved around

the machines axis. Drills holes for the bolts

which stabilize the rock.

BELT CONVEYOR transports the excavated

material to the end of the back-up system.

WALKING DEVICE The rear of the TBM and the

back-up systems rest on the feet of the walking

device. They are lifted as tunnelling progresses,

and the back-up system follows.

GOTTHARD BASE TUNNEL

- Overall volume of excavated material:

around 10.5 million m.

THRUST CYLINDERS brace against the gripper

shoes and press the rotating cutterhead against

the tunnel face.

GOTTHARD BASE TUNNEL

Thrust force: 27,488 kN total

Stroke: max. 2 m

SHOTCRETE ROBOT lines the tunnel with

shotcrete to stabilize it.

CONTROL CABIN From here the TBM driver

operates the machine and monitors tunnelling.

SELECTION OF REFERENCE PROJECTS GRIPPER TBM

TUNNEL PROJECT

Jinping Hydropower Station II, ChinaTunnel length: 15,903 m

Mumbai Freshwater Pipeline, IndiaTunnel lengths: 4,366 m / 1,800 m / 1,675 m / 1,900 m

CONTRACTOR

Ertan Hydropower Development Company Ltd.

Patel Engineering Ltd., Pratibha Industries Ltd.

MACHINE DATA

S-405 Gripper TBMDiameter: 12,400 mm

M-1150M / M-1249M Gripper TBM3000XH / Gripper TBM2800XHDiameters: 3,000 mm / 2,800 mm

GRIPPER CYLINDERS press the GRIPPER

PLATES laterally against the tunnel wall.

GOTTHARD BASE TUNNEL

- Gripping force: 72,142 kN total